Travelling with medical conditions and accessibility needs

To ensure you have the most comfortable flight possible, we kindly ask you to inform us in advance if you have any visual or hearing impairments, mobility limitations or other physical or mental conditions, illnesses or characteristics that may require special attention from us at the airport or during the flight. Please note that certain medical conditions, disabilities or functional limitations may also restrict air travel.

If you have any medical conditions, disabilities or impairments, please review carefully the information below. This will help ensure your safety and comfort during air travel.

If you have any of the conditions, disabilities or impairments listed below, please make sure to inform us at least 48 hours before your flight departure. This allows us to take necessary precautions and ensure your safety and comfort throughout your journey.

• Recent myocardial infarction
• Recent cerebral circulatory disorder
• Recent injury
• Recent surgery
• Symptomatic coronary disease or other heart condition
• Chronic pulmonary diseases
• Pneumothorax
• Need for additional oxygen during a previous flight or on the ground
• Psychosis and other severe mental disorders
• Alzheimer's disease, other dementias, autism and other conditions that may affect the ability to independently travel on a flight
• Disorders of consciousness
• Poorly controlled epilepsy (recurrent seizures)
• Advanced cancer or other serious disabling illness
• Infectious disease (tuberculosis, measles, recent respiratory infections, intestinal infections with diarrhoea or vomiting)
• Sinusitis or ear infection
• Acute pain uncontrolled by medication
• Anaemia (Hb less than 75g/l)
• Chickenpox in the vesicle phase due to the risk of infection. Travel is allowed in the dry scabies phase.
• You are unable to sit without assistance or support. Read more about approved seating aids.

Travelling with a common cold 

The common cold is an infectious disease, and we cannot allow highly symptomatic customers on board. Flying with a cold carries the risk of pressure injuries in the middle ear and nasal sinuses, which, in the most severe cases, can even lead to inner ear damage. Therefore, we do not recommend flying when experiencing respiratory infection symptoms.

How to contact us

Inform us by filling in the special assistance form

The special assistance form allows you to tell us in advance about known medical conditions, disabilities or impairments. If you have any of the above-mentioned conditions, you must submit the form at least 48 hours before your flight departure. Letting us know in advance helps us prepare and ensure your safety and comfort. You can also use the form to notify us if you require assistance services at the airport.

Once you have submitted the form, you will receive a personal case number, for example, 1-234567890. Depending on the situation, we may require a medical clearance on a MEDIF form. Please read the instructions for the MEDIF form below.

Submit the medical clearance if necessary

After reviewing your special assistance form, we may request medical clearance through a medical information form (MEDIF) to ensure that air travel is completely safe for you. Please carefully complete both pages of the form and follow these steps:

• Complete Part 1 yourself or with the help of your representative.
• Have your treating doctor complete Part 2.
• Scan the signed forms and log in with your case number to attach them to your case. Please ensure the forms are submitted to us at the latest 48 hours before your flight departure.

By submitting the MEDIF form, you give us your consent to process your medical data to handle and complete your service request. The consent also applies to our partners, if necessary. You can find more information from our privacy policy.

MEDIF form validity period

Please make sure your medical information form (MEDIF) is sufficiently recent, especially if your condition is chronic or progressive.

• For chronic illnesses, such as heart or lung conditions, the form cannot be older than 12 months.
• For serious progressive illnesses, such as cancer or progressive neurological conditions (for example ALS), the form cannot be older than 6–12 months.

However, in individual cases, we may require more recent information, such as haemoglobin (Hb) levels and oxygen saturation, to reliably evaluate your current fitness to fly and ensure safe travel.

Carrying medications on your flight

If you need medications during your flight, please pack them in your carry-on baggage. We recommend keeping medications in their original packaging and bringing prescriptions in English for any prescription medications. This will make inspections easier at customs and security checkpoints.

Liquid medications can generally be carried in carry-on baggage even in packages larger than 100 ml, if you carry the prescription for the medication with you. You can check the restrictions related to liquids on the website of the airport you’re flying from. Read more about the security control instructions for Helsinki Airport.

Please note that we cannot, unfortunately, store medications in the aircraft's refrigerators. If your medications require refrigeration, please consult your pharmacist about alternative options before your flight.

Non-visible disabilities

We understand that a non-visible disability or impairment, such as hearing or visual impairment, anxiety, dementia or chronic pain, can make travelling more challenging. Individuals on the neurodiversity spectrum may also face challenges while travelling. We want to make your flight as smooth as possible. Please check at the beginning of this page to see if your disability or impairment requires you to submit a medical clearance before your flight. 

If you have a non-visible disability, you can use services designed for passengers with reduced mobility, such as Finnair's dedicated check-in desk at Helsinki Airport. You may also contact the gate staff at your departure gate if you wish to board the aircraft among the first passengers due to your disability or impairment. 

If you need assistance moving around the airport or boarding the aircraft, please contact us at least 48 hours before your flight departure. This allows us time to confirm the assistance service for you. Learn more about our assistance services.

Allergies

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free cabin environment while you travel with us. If you have been prescribed an epinephrine or adrenaline auto-injector like EpiPen, Anapen, Twinject, or Jext, make sure to take it with you in your carry-on baggage.